Show of The Century
by Brokenkitsune
Summary: Inside of the darkness the locker, Taylor made some new friends. They taught her the importance of showmanship. Now, equipped with everything she needs to put on the best show possible, Taylor returns to Winslow to give it the show of the century. Circus themed Taylor. ON HIATUS
1. Act I

**A/N) In this story, Taylor triggers with a strong circus based shaker power similar to Labyrinth. She decides to get revenge for what Winslow did to her by turning the school into her own personal funhouse and having a school wide game of 'Hide and Seek'. Her costume is Joker's outfit from Black Butler**

**PRT Power classifications**

**Shaker 11 - She can transform the surrounding area into a demonic amusement park, has no apparent limits except time and can manipulate everything within her area of effect. I understand some may have concerns about the high classification, but keep in mind, she created a _moon_.**

**Mover 3 - Able to instantly teleport to any location that she has already transformed using the mirrors that are prevalent everywhere in the park**

**Master 5 - Has circus themed projections that follow her commands. She cannot control them but they follow her commands without question. It is unknown if they possess a will of their own or if they are mindless drones. The amount of joy they seem to express while killing seems to suggest the former.**

* * *

**~~~~~~~Line Break~~~~~~~**

I fingered my cane as I smiled down at the packed auditorium from my spot above the stage. Mr. Gladly was currently giving some boring speech about safety that absolutely no one was paying attention to.

'_A full house!'_ I thought giddily as I observed the scene below me, _'This performance will be even better than I dreamed of!'._ I had been preparing for this moment all month, handcrafting my outfit, practicing my lines, and marking my calendar for this specific date. February 24th, the day of the annual safety speech that was mandatory for every student, sophomore year and above. The perfect day to introduce my best friends to the world.

I felt my smile widen as I leapt down from my position on the catwalk, a gleaming blade extending from the end of my cane as it approached the back of Mr. Gladly's skull. _'It's Showtime!'_

* * *

**~~~~~~~Emma POV~~~~~~~**

"Why do they keep having these meetings every year." Emma grouched quietly to herself, "They have to know that talking about safety in this gang infested hellhole is like preaching to a deaf person"

Emma was in a foul mood and she had nobody to take it out on. Taylor hadn't been seen in nearly a month and Sophia was becoming increasingly angry about it. Her athletic friend hadn't even said anything to her all day unless it was to make some sarcastic remark. She wasn't sure why the track star was in such a tizzy, and when she had asked all she had been told was that Clockblocker was being his usual self.

'_Whatever that means.'_ Emma thought, focusing back on the stage as Mr. Gladly started wrapping up his long winded speech. She couldn't wait for today to be over so she could go home and go to bed.

_'Oh, that's right'_ She thought belatedly, _'I never actually cleaned my room like I said I di-'_ _**Squelch~**_ She, along with everyone else in the crowd, froze as Mr. Gladly was stopped mid sentence by a length of steel emerging from the front of his face. Emma felt all the breath leave her lungs as she recognized the person responsible.

A dark purple overcoat sat upon a tall, lithe figure that could easily be mistaken for male. Dark, wavy brown hair framed a face which housed a pair of too-wide grinning lips and round eyes that Emma knew should be obscured by the glasses which were absent . A yellow scarf tied into a bow sat above a checkered patterned sweater with large grey buttons and white sleeves. Pointed black and shoes raced up to meet a pair of black slacks partially obscured by a parted white piece of fabric that Emma didn't know the name of. White showman's gloves gripped a bladed silver cane still dripping with the blood of the previously breathing teacher.

Emma watched in barely hidden fear as the woman's eyes passed over her. Not seeming to recognize the form of her former best friend turned tormentor. As the woman she recognized to be Taylor grinned, Emma numbly realized that she probably wouldn't get the chance to tell her father that she lied about cleaning her room yesterday.

* * *

**~~~~~~~Taylor POV~~~~~~~**

My smile didn't abait as I yanked my cane from my former teacher's skull with a stomach turning **_Squelch_**. My gaze roved over my now captive audience before I opened my mouth to address the terrified masses.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls," I began, my exuberant voice reverberating in the now silent auditorium, "I apologize for interrupting such an _**-ahem-**_ '_captivating_' speech, but I would like to play a game with all of you." Here, I twirled my cane professionally before pointing behind me at my slowly lengthening shadow.

"And to ensure you all play by the rules of the game," I continued, my smile widening as the shadow started to darken noticeably, "I've brought with me some helpers."

From the shadow, came a trio of creatures whose appearances drastically differed from each other. Each of them seemed excited by the prospect of helping me with my game.

The tallest of the three was nearly 8 feet tall even hunched over as it was. A cherry red nose sat upon a pasty white visage. Round cheeks were made even wider as a result of the shark-toothed smile that seemed to be frozen on its face. Streaks of red trailed from eye sockets housing sickly yellow orbs that darted around the room with a keener gaze than its rotund appearance suggested. It's shoulders shook periodically, as if it was silently laughing at a joke only it could hear.

It was garbed in what appeared to be a blood-stained clown outfit complete with yellow stripes and comically large shoes that squeaked as it shifted in place. From it's shoulders emerged long, spindly arms caked in red that seemed to go on forever before finally ending in gloved hands that each held a jagged dagger still dripping with gore.

To the right of the twisted facsimile of a clown, stood a woman. With her white creamy skin and perfectly sculpted features, the woman was the very definition of alien beauty despite her abnormal height of 7 feet.

From her silky raven hair that stopped just above her well shaped posterior, to her perfectly manicured nailed that were painted a seductive rub red, not a flaw could be found. Her figure was one most women couldn't even dream of and this was further emphasized by her outfit.

She was wearing a dark blue dress that tightly hugged her body and accentuated her every curve. The neck of the dress dipped low, showing just enough of her alabaster skin to draw the gazes of nearly every man in the room while not appearing too salacious. Emerging from under her dress were a smooth pair of tantalizing legs that seemed to go on for miles. Every part of her body seemed to be perfectly designed to be as seductive as possible.

This image of perfection was ruined by the slitted orange eyes that observed those in the crowd with a predatory gleam. The soft pink tongue that periodically darted out to wet a pair of smirking red lips, indicated that she had more in common with the creature to her left than her beautiful appearance suggested.

The final of the trio was the most out of place in both appearance and attitude. Whereas the other two had thus far remained silent, this one had immediately let out a cry of joy upon exiting the portal and jumped up onto my shoulders where he still sat swinging his pointed, bell tipped shoes.

Appearing to be a boy no older than 8, he possessed next to no defining features barring the bright red hair that sat partially hidden under a belled purple hat on his head as well as his purple, catlike eyes. He was wearing a purple and black jester's outfit including the aforementioned hat. The thing that stood out most about the boy, was the belts strapped to his waist, chest, legs and thighs respectively. Each of the belts contained upwards of twenty daggers that gleamed in the bright light of the stage.

I continued my speech as the crowd below me observed my friends with trepidation. I knew they might look off putting to some people, but I had long since grown used to their appearances. "These are my best friends, the clown is Chuckles, the girl is Beauty, and the little tyke on my shoulders is Jester" the adorable boy smiled cheerfully and waved. "They are going to help me with the game."

"The rules of the game are simple," I paused, making sure everyone was listening. This was very important after all. "You all have exactly 2 hours to escape the school which, through the use of my power, has been transformed into an amusement park. My friends here," I gestured behind me with my cane. "will roam around the park searching for you. If they find you, well," I chuckled quietly, "Mr. Gladly here will have company on his way to the afterlife."

I smiled as I took in the hundreds of terrified faces, before removing Jester from my shoulders. "The game will begin in two minutes, I suggest making the most of them"

With one final twirl of my cane, I exerted my power, my form shimmering before seeming to crack like a mirror and shatter into dust, leaving a room full of terrified students and three smiling monsters. My disembodied voice rang out in the wake of my disappearance.

"**Let The Games Begin."**


	2. Act II

**(A/N) This story is probably going to be longer than four chapters instead of three. I have an epilogue that I recently thought of and want to write.**

**I'm also really happy for the support I've been getting. Within the first three hours that the story was up, I had already gotten 3 favorites and follows. That made me really happy.**

**Anyway, I've kept you long enough. Enjoy the show!**

* * *

**~~~~~~~Madison POV~~~~~~~**

I know I deserve this. After all, I had basically helped torture a girl for the better part of a year. There's only so much someone can take before they snap and get revenge, regardless of the consequences and Taylor had clearly reached her limit. And we gave her the perfect tools to get even.

Somewhere in the back of my terrified mind, I knew that Taylor must have been powerful. She had to be if she was able to create a seemingly endless amusement park from a high school the size of a baseball field. There was even a fucking moon for god sake! A _moon!_ Add that to the monsters that had been systematically hunting them down, and you get one of the most powerful Parahumans this side of Nilbog. And just like the infamous Goblin King, Taylor clearly wasn't in the mood to take prisoners.

It had been nearly an hour since Taylor had announced the game. Nearly an hour spent in constant terror as I looked for an escape from this damn amusement park while being chased by those monsters. My nonathletic body wasn't used to the constant strain and had been exhausted quickly, forcing me to seek shelter in an alley. I suppose I'm lucky, considering what is going on just outside.

Hot tears ran down my face as I retreated further into the shadows of my hiding spot, quiet sobs tearing their way from my throat as I was forced to listen to the tortured screams of those unlucky enough to be found by one of the 'seekers' in this fucked up game they were forced to play.

'Where the hell are the heroes,' I thought desperately as another scream was suddenly cut off, 'Someone must have made it out by now, it's been forever since the game started!'

A dark chuckle sounded out in the darkness, getting increasingly louder. I shouted in terror before slamming my hands against my ears in a futile attempt to block out the cruel laughter that suddenly assaulted me from seemingly all directions. The only thing I achieved was making it louder, quickly reached an ear piercing volume that triggered a primal reaction in my fragile mind. Just when I thought I would go insane, the noises stopped, leaving a deafening silence that was, in some ways, worse than the laughter that it replaced so suddenly.

The sound of slow footsteps broke through the sudden silence. I froze in horror as a pair of comically large red shoes appeared in the mouth of the alley. My body shook in terror and scrambled backwards, pressing myself further against the back wall of the alley as if it would open up and save me from my imminent demise at the bloodstained hands of the demonic clown stalking towards me.

"No, no, no… God no." I whimpered pathetically, curling into a ball as my already fractured mind finally gave up. "Leave me alone! I don't want to play anymore! Let me out! I want out! **LetmeoutletmeoutLETMEOUTLETMEOUTLETMEOU-"**

**DESTINATION… AGREEMENT**

**TRAJECTORY... AGREEMENT**

A beautiful field of twinkling stars, two impossibly massive beings circling each other in a complex dance before colliding. From the impact, came dozens more stars that twinkled just as brightly as their brethren. One star shined so bright it was blinding. It approached me at a mind numbing speed, disappearing just before impact.

A sensation of being stretched like a rubber band enveloped me and before I could comprehend what was happening, I was staring up at a pale blue sky interspersed with puffs of white. Oh God. I was finally out, I could finally rest.

"Ma-am," a voice to my right began, startling me from my thoughts "Are you all right?"

I slowly turned my head, taking in the person that had spoken. He was black, which was surprising since Winslow sat right on the edge of Empire territory, and wore a brown leather jacket over a simple black t-shirt. Dark brown boots emerged from the edge of a pair of worn blue jeans. His dark brown eyes gazed at her with concern.

"G-get the PRT," I began weakly, my hoarse voice stuttering from exhaustion, "Winslow High S-school." My throat screamed at me to stop, to rest, but I ignored it, continuing regardless, "Parahuman attack."

The man stared at me uncomprehendingly. "You should probably rest. I'll call an ambulance."

I glared at him, my vision blurring as more tears emerged from my eyes, "SHE'S K-KILLING EVERYONE! CALL THE F-FUCKING PRT!" I shouted desperately. "P-please," I continued, so quiet I could barely hear myself. I was so tired, the black sitting on the edge of my vision was slowly creeping in, "she'll kill them all."

The man hesitated before nodding, "All right, just rest. I'll take care of it."

More tears, these ones of relief, trailed down my face as I turned my head back to the light blue sky. A moment later, it hit me. I had done it. I was finally out. I was free.

"Thank god." I whispered in relief before my slowly eyes drifted shut, the warmth of the sun on my skin being the last sensation I felt as darkness consumed me completely.

* * *

**~~~~~~~Taylor POV~~~~~~~**

I frowned slightly at the mirror in my hand. I was extremely glad my powers included the ability to manifest mirrors all over the park, otherwise I wouldn't have known about this little threat to my show.

"You really should have expected this y'know," Jester spoke up from his spot on my shoulders, he had taken a break from the game to come spend time with me and I just couldn't say no. Not that I ever would, I loved the little tyke too much for that. "It makes sense that at one some of the students would trigger from the game."

I nodded, "I expected that, even planned for it. I just didn't expect the power to be one so detrimental to the game." After all, being able to teleport in hide and seek ruined everything. That's why I myself wasn't participating in the game, the ability to move through mirrors would take all the fun out of it. Now I was on a time limit. Madison would surely alert the local protectorate and they would come to stop the game.

I removed Jester from my shoulders and sat him down in front of me. "I guess we should get ready for the main event." I frowned, thinking hard about what to do in this situation, before smiling brightly as it came to me. It was perfect. I turned to my friend, "Go to the others and tell them to gather up whoever is left and meet me at the house of mirrors. We have a few adjustments to make to the plans."

'But before that,' I thought to myself, 'I have to go visit our guest.' I concentrated, exerting my power on one of the many mirrors that I kept hidden in my coat. The familiar feeling of being doused in water encompassed me as I teleported, leaving nothing but a small, handheld mirror that shattered as it hit the ground.

Exiting the mirror portal, I walked up to the bound figure in the center of the dimly lit room. A malicious grin lit up on my face as I gazed into the murderous eyes of the teenage heroine currently chained to the floor via electrical wires. "Hello, _Sophia._"

"I've got an offer for you."


	3. Act III

**(A/N): I'm going to stop trying to guess how many chapters this fic will be and just write however many it takes to finish it. Rest assured, this fic WILL be finished. It might take until mid-November, but it will happen.**

**On another note, I've noticed some of you are worried about whether or not Taylor will have to face the consequences of her actions. Don't worry I have a plan for that, she won't get off scot-free after everything she did.**

**I also might go back to previous chapters to correct any errors and make the chapters themselves more streamlined. I'll let you know what I decide.**

**Anyway, I've kept you all long enough. Enjoy the show!**

**This chapter focuses on the PRT's reaction to the situation at Winslow as well as a small flashback showing how Sophia came to be captured by Taylor.**

* * *

**~~~~~~Miss Militia POV~~~~~~**

I studied the somber faces of my colleagues sitting around the table, my gaze stopping briefly as I observed the face of the resident jokester Assault. The kinetic manipulator sat silent, his face frozen in an unusually serious expression that didn't suit the man at all.

He hadn't cracked a smile or made a single joke since entering the room, which was out of character for the normally cheerful man and it was clearly worrying his wife if the concerned glances she kept giving him were any indication.

'_I suppose it makes sense,'_ I thought to myself, '_I doubt even Mouse Protector could find it in her to make a joke given the current situation.'_ And that woman had absolutely no tact whatsoever.

When Director Piggot called all available heroes for an emergency meeting, everyone was expecting something simple. The Empire having a recruitment event, Squealer testing out her newest creation on public property, Lung attempting to retake the territory the Empire had stolen from him, maybe they had finally located Coil's base of operations and were going to capture the elusive snake. The expression on the Director's face told me that I wasn't so lucky.

"At approximately 2:13 PM EST," Piggot began, "the PRT emergency hotline was informed of a Parahuman attack in progress at Winslow High School and immediately sent a squad to investigate." she closed her eyes as if she was in physical pain. "Out of the forty soldiers we sent, only two returned along with a student they had managed to rescue.." Nearly every pair of eyes at the table widened in shock at the news, myself included. I knew that even without powers, the men and women of the PRT were well equipped when it came to dealing with hostile Parahumans, they _had_ to be with capes like Hookwolf running around. So to hear that nearly an entire squad was wiped out by a single cape, was a shock.

"Upon interrogating the student the officers had rescued," The Director continued, "it was revealed that the Parahuman responsible for the attack is a female brunette about 5 '9 to 5 '10 in height wearing a costume reminiscent of a circus leader. She appeared during an annual safety speech, at which point she proceeded to kill the teacher who was giving the speech." She was interrupted by Battery.

"How did she get inside? Someone had to have seen her, like a security guard or something." She had a point. With that many students in one place, security was basically required. And if they didn't see anything, one of the students or teachers must-have.

"We thought the same thing," She responded, "but the student confessed that there were no security guards present during the speech and she hadn't seen anything until the cape appeared."

'_Seriously_,' I thought in disbelief, '_that school is a gang-infested cesspool, why the hell weren't there any security guards?'_ It was common knowledge that Winslow was a hotspot for gang recruitment. All three of the gangs that occupied the city used the school to expand their numbers, despite the fact that it sat right on the edge of Empire territory. I snapped my gaze back to the director as she continued to inform us of the situation.

"The student then went on to explain how the Parahuman, who we have temporarily dubbed '**Spectacle**', announced that she wanted to play a game. Upon saying this, the student said her shadow seemed to expand and darken before a trio of creatures appeared from it. The creatures include a clown, a beautiful woman, and a young boy in a jester's outfit. Spectacle dubbed these creatures Chuckles, Beauty, and Jester respectively."

Immediately upon hearing the name of the clown, shivers went down the spines of nearly every person in the room as they remembered the infamous Slaughterhouse Nine member of the same name. The Director seemed to notice this, as she quickly moved to reassure the people around her. "The Slaughterhouse Nine were last spotted in Kentucky, so it appears to be nothing more than a coincidence and not an attempt by Bonesaw to revive dead members." We all breathed a sigh of relief before it was ruined by what the Director said next.

"Unfortunately, while the Nine aren't here in Brockton, the current situation is nearly as bad." She gazed sternly at us, her eyes seeming to linger slightly on my form as she continued, "With the emergence of these creatures, Spectacle went on to announce the rules of the '_game_'." She said the word game like it was a disease, "Upon beginning the game, students would have approximately two hours to escape the school, which had been transformed into an amusement park. The three creatures would chase the students and, upon catching them, would kill them in cold blood." She pressed a button on the table and three screens descended from the ceiling behind her. "I'm about to show you images from the cameras that were attached to the uniforms of the officers who were killed. We have not censored any of these images and they may disturb some of you, you have been warned."

The screens flickered on and a hand rose to my mouth to prevent the gasp that escaped my lips. The first screen displayed an image of a young boy no older than eight. His eyes were alight with a childlike glee that would have been precious were it not for the knife that he currently had buried to the hilt in the chest of a screaming officer, spraying blood everywhere and further soaking his already drenched outfit in more of the crimson liquid. There was something fundamentally wrong about the picture, and I didn't know if it was the fact that Jester was so young or the fact that he looked like he was having the time of his life. Not able to bare the macabre sight any longer, I turned to the next screen whose contents were arguably worse.

A beautiful raven-haired woman stood ankle-deep in blood. The way her pale skin glinted in the moonlight only further emphasized her already ethereal beauty. She was surrounded by a multitude of corpses and severed limbs, but that in itself wouldn't be so bad, Hannah had seen much worse after all. No, the issue was the fact that several of the limbs had bite marks in them and, observing the image again, it was clear who the culprit was. A bloodstained grin sat on the woman's face, sharp bloodstained teeth emerged from a pair of lips so red they almost seemed black. Slitted orange eyes stared directly at the camera, gleaming with hunger as they gazed up at their next meal. The pale woman's predatory gaze struck a primal chord in me and I quickly moved on to the next image to get away from the feeling.

Immediately upon inspecting the final image, I froze, everything around me seemingly falling away as the picture brought up memories I had tried so hard to bury. The scene before me was so reminiscent of the ones that haunted my worst nightmares.

A circus clown stood illuminated by the light of the fires that surrounded it. A match was held between its lips as it blew steam of flames at the officers in front of it. Flesh melted from bone from the intense heat of flames so hot they were white. I could just barely make out the bodies of its previous victims behind it. There must have been at least ten of them, teenagers of all ages laying on the cold pavement. Blackened faces were frozen in agony, eyes half-melted in their sockets due to the extreme heat they had been subjected to. Cracked skin was visible as their clothing had been burned to ash long ago. It was just like _that_ day.

I felt my eyes widen, a wave of dread traveling down my spine as the picture seemed to hold my gaze in an iron grip. "Dear god no" I whispered, bright green light swirling around my body as my powers reacted to my distraught state of mind. At times, the light seemed to converge into a nearly recognizable form, before continuing it's imitation of a whirlwind. I wanted to look away so badly but I couldn't stop as my perfect memory brought me back to the worst day of my life. The day I lost so much and gained so little.

I was frozen as I was forced to listen as a man ordered us to walk across an empty field while he stayed behind, heard the pained screams of my friends as they came to realize that the fields weren't actually empty as the boy beside me was torn to shreds by an explosion of heat and shrapnel, the force of which pushed me onto my back where I continued to lay, terrified as I was forced to listen to the screams of my friends and the explosions that silenced them soon after.

I was going to die. I knew it. "_.i.s M'..tia" _Someone was shouting. They were so far away, "_Miss Militia...," _Who's that? The name sounded familiar. "_Miss Militia can you hear me?! Miss Militia!" _The voice was getting louder, why won't they just leave me alone? " _I think she's having a flashback! Miss Militia! Miss Militia! Goddammit! Snap out of it! _Hannah!"

I jumped, sweat drenching my face as my eyes darted around the room, taking in my surroundings. A familiar figure sat beside me, a hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright Hannah?" The man asked in a concerned voice.

I took deep, shuddering breaths as I gazed into the concerned brown eyes of the villain known as Madcap. _'No, not Madcap,'_ I thought as awareness slowly returned to me. _'That's Assault. He's a hero.'_ I thought in recognition. _'The image must have given me a PTSD episode.'_

"Miss Militia, do you need a moment?" I started as the stern voice of Director Piggot cut through my thoughts. I moved my gaze to the woman and took another deep breath before speaking, "I'll be fine Director, please continue." I cursed silently at the slight quiver in my usually steady voice.

Piggot's sharp eyes observed the hero's slightly shaking form for another moment before continuing, "These three creatures have been witnessed acting without any orders from Spectacle, and it is unknown whether or not they are sentient. That, along with other feats witnessed by the student and the two officers, has given us enough information to tentatively classify Spectacle as **Master 5, Mover 3, **and **Shaker 11.**"

The final classification shocked the heroes. Why was it so high? It was Assault who finally broke the ensuing silence. "Shaker _11_?!" he nearly shouted in disbelief, "What the hell did she do that would classify a Shaker 11?! Labyrinth only has a Shaker 12, and she's one of the most powerful Shakers on the planet!"

Ignoring the the man's outburst, Piggot calmly explained her reasoning, "While Labyrinth is very powerful, the strength of her powers are based on her level of lucidity, which deteriorates the longer she uses them. She is also unable to move while using her powers or her area of effect will to a small area around her. Not only does Spectacle not seem to exhibit any of these drawbacks, but she's also able to travel near instantaneously by using the mirrors that are prevalent throughout the park." She gazed around the room at the now contemplative heroes.

"In fact," she continued, " were it not for the fact that she has not shown the ability to deviate from the circus-themed aspect of her powers, I would actually increase her Shaker rating to be _Higher_ than Labyrinth's. But as it is, she has not shown the ability to do so."

I was suddenly struck by a thought. "Where is Shadow Stalker? She goes to Winslow, shouldn't she be here with us? I mean, wasn't she the one who called it in?"

The Director seemed to visibly sag in her chair. "About three hours ago, Shadow Stalker failed to respond to the text regularly sent to all PRT employees to ensure they aren't compromised. We attempted to trace her cell phone but we came back with nothing, not even the tracker in her crossbow was responding. Checking the logs revealed that her phone stopped responding an hour before her crossbow, nearly six hours ago." she sighed, "Sophia Hess AKA Shadow Stalker has been declared MIA."

Silence engulfed the room as the heroes processed what they had just heard. A Ward had gone missing and they didn't know if she was even alive. None of them believed anyone was stupid enough to try to do anything to the heroes in training for fear of the entire Protectorate coming down on them. They let their guard down and Sophia had paid the price for it. Now they could only wait and deal with the current threat, hoping that the young heroine was ok.

"While very unfortunate," I refocused on Piggot as she continued, "We still have the issue of Winslow. Armsmaster, will use Velocity to map the layout of the school and any areas where there are still students. Assault, Battery, and Miss Militia you three will enter the school to rescue any remaining students and faculty. Dauntless and Triumph will wait outside with the Wards to keep the rescued people safe."

Piggot gaze swept across the determined faces around her. "If you see Spectacle, wait for reinforcements. Do NOT engage her alone. We still don't know everything she can do and that makes her dangerous. Dismissed."

I exited the room with my comrades, my mind swirling with concerned thoughts about the missing Ward. _'Will we find her? And if we do, will it be all at once?'_

* * *

**~~~~~~~Sophia POV~~~~~~~**

I scratched my neck as the collar irritated my skin. When the damned thing was first put on, I had attempted to phase through it with my powers and was forced to my knees by the resulting shock of electricity. I hadn't tried again after that.

I hated this. I would rather stay chained up in that warehouse than wear a collar fit for a rabid dog. I wasn't a dog, dogs were sheep pretending to be wolves, spending their pathetic lives lazing about until they either got too old or were killed by a true predator. A predator like me.

My entire existence revolved around hunting the weak prey that infested my home. And I was _damn_ good at it too, so good that the prey I had hunted for so long decided that I needed to be put on a leash. The weaklings in the PRT took my claws and gave me a muzzle before training me to listen to my new masters. They thought they succeeded. Thought they had tamed me. But I'm smart. Years of hunting prey had taught me to recognize a battle that I couldn't win. and this was one of them. So I swallowed my pride and joined the Wards, all the while counting the days until I could truly hunt again.

I hated every second I spent with my 'team'. Every time I looked at them, I easily recognized the way they fought, the way they held back when they used their powers. It disgusted me to my core. If not for Emma, I would have snapped and killed them all long ago.

_'Emma'_

The beautiful redhead was one of the only good things about my situation. I still remembered that fateful day in the alley, the way Emma fought back against her attackers with a ferocity that still sent chills down my spine to this day. While she may have failed to defend herself, in those precious few moments, I saw a true predator held back by the chains of society. So I took it upon myself to help the girl break free from her chains and watched in awe as the girl blossomed feisty prey, into a true predator. But something still held her back, a crutch in the form of a best friend with curly brown hair and glasses.

But Emma didn't let that stop her, it didn't even slow her down. With a viciousness that took my breath away, Emma began her attempts to break the spirit of her former best friend in every way possible. At first, it was small things, putting a chewed piece of gum on her seat, spreading a nasty rumor, schoolyard shit like that. Then Emma found out Taylor brought her mother's flute to school and everything changed.

She started to up the ante, she stole Taylor's homework, ruined her projects the day they were due, ruined her clothing by pouring juice all over them, even insulted her dead mother. Sophia watched as the scared girl she met in the alley slowly transformed into a ferocious predator just like her. The locker was the final nail in the coffin though. Not even on her worst day would Sophia ever think of something so brilliant. It was guaranteed to break that weaklings spirit. And it worked.

''_It worked _too _well' _I thought with a tiny hint of regret, '_We broke her so bad that there weren't any pieces left to put back together.' _I shivered, recalling the day I was put in this collar, the memory of those teeth sending shivers down my spine.

* * *

_**~~~~~~~Flashback~~~~~~~**_

_Sophia was in the bathroom when the 'game' started. She refused to go to that mind-numbing assembly, knowing that if she did, she would snap and kill someone. She knew she had been increasingly snappish recently, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. Emma had clearly noticed something because she had been getting odd glances all day. She even blew off her new boyfriend to attempt to find the problem._

Boyfriend. _That word hurt Sophia more than she could have ever expected. The knowledge that her beautiful best friend wasn't actually hers, filled Sophia with an emotion that she hadn't experienced before._ Jealousy_. _

_Sophia wouldn't lie to herself, she knew she had feelings for her one and only friend. She would often spend hours fantasizing about running her hands through that silky red hair as she bruised the redhead's pink lips with her own. Dreamt of running her hands across Emma's pale skin as she made her scream the track star's name in ecstasy. Emma would be hers, completely and utterly _hers_._

_But that's all they were, dreams and fantasies. Emma was as straight as the shafts of her PRT issued arrows and would never return her feelings. And that knowledge stung more than anything._

_She was snapped out of her depressing thoughts by the buzzing in her pocket. 'If that's Madison asking me where I am again, I'm going to punch her in the nose.' Sophia thought in anger. That anger was stopped cold as she stared at the picture she had just received._

_Tied to a chair in a dimly lit room, was a familiar figure, her usually vibrant red hair hanging limp in front of her face, obscuring her features. Her clothing was covered in dirt and torn in places, exposing pale flesh marred with scratches. 'Emma,' Sophia realized numbly. Her phone buzzed again, a message appearing below the picture._

'_**You want her back? She's in the basement, come get her.'**_

_Sophia stared at the message, completely numb before she was consumed by a burning rage that overrode all coherent thought. 'They took her!' she thought furiously, 'they _hurt her_! I'll fucking _crucify _them!' Grabbing her crossbow and bolts from her discarded backpack, Sophia activated her power, becoming incorporeal and slipping through the floor._

_As she phased through the roof of the basement, all she could think about was how she was going to slaughter whoever stole Emma from her. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice the boy sneaking up behind her until he jabbed her in the neck with a syringe. Then __**blackness**__._

* * *

_Sophia regained consciousness slowly, opening her eyes to observe her surroundings. It was a small windowless room, the only source of illumination being a single light bulb swinging to and fro on the ceiling. She attempted to stand up, only to be forced back to the floor by the wires wrapped around her body. "What the fuck?" She muttered in confusion. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was going to rescue Emm- "Emma!" she yelled as she remembered the fate of the redhead. They must have knocked her out when she entered the basement. But who was responsible, the only thing in the room other than her was a mirror hanging on the wall across from her. There wasn't even a door!_

_The sound of breaking glass rang out in the dark room. She snapped her gaze towards the figure who had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, all coherent thoughts ceasing as she beheld the woman in front of her. Curly brown hair framed a face upon which a pair of too-wide lips sat curled into a malicious grin that looked completely out of place on her usually sullen face. _

"_Hello _Sophia." _Said girl felt a chill run down her spine at the tone of the taller teen's voice. "I've got an offer for you."_

_There was a moment of silence as Sophia registered what the girl had said before she spoke, "An offer?" she chuckled, "You must be insane if you think I'll listen to what you have to say Hebert."_

_Taylor's smile widened, sharp teeth peeking out from between her lips causing Sophia to shiver despite herself. "Now, now, Sophia," she started in a patronizing tone, "I put in all this effort to get you here. The least you could do is hear me out." she reached behind her back, pulling out a photo, one that caused Sophia's breath to leave her body. Right there on the piece of laminated cardboard, was Emma, her mascara running down her face from the force of the tears that poured from her eyes. Her left eye was swollen and purple, and a bruise was beginning to form on her jaw._

_She almost missed Taylor's voice as she stared at the picture in horror. "Don't you want to see Emma again?" that sickening grin was back on her face, "I know how you feel about her, she probably does too, if the way she screamed your name is any indication."_

"_Wha-WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!" Sophia thrashed in her bonds, trying to escape and kill the woman in front of her, "I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU YOU PIECE OF SHIT! YOU UNDERSTAND ME HEBERT?! YOUR FUCKING DEAD!" Reaching out with her subconscious, Sophia groped blindly in the darkness of her mind, searching for the familiar wispy feeling she had come to associate with her Breaker state. When she found it, she immediately grabbed it, tensing up as she became incorporeal and slipped through her bindi-__**PAINPAINPAIN**_

_Sophia screamed in agony as electricity coursed through her body, her mind going blank as it tried to keep up with the excruciating feeling of being cooked inside out. Using what little awareness she still had in her pain filled mind, Sophia deactivated her powers. She slumped down onto the cold floor, her body still convulsing as her nerves pulsed with electricity. The smell of her own cooked flesh wafted up into __her nostrils, as she lay there panting in exhaustion._

"_Silly Sophia," Taylor's cheerful voice held more than a hint of amusement, "Did you think I wouldn't know about your little alternate persona? I can't believe you think so little of me." she sniffed tearfully, "I'm willing to forgive you though, I'll even take you to Emma. On one condition." _

_Sophia glared hatefully at the taller girl, "What do you want?" she whispered in a hoarse voice._

"_I'm in need of an," Taylor paused, searching for the right word, "'_assistant'. _And you, my dear, are the perfect choice." she bent down to stare Sophia in the eyes, "Help me and you will walk out of this place with Emma in your arms. Refuse, and neither of you will see the light of day again. So what do you say ... Shadow Stalker?"_

_Sophia stayed silent, gritting her teeth, before she sighed in resignation, "Fine, I'll help you. Just let me out of here." If it were just her, Sophia would happily tell Hebert to shove her offer up her ass and fuck herself with it. But it wasn't just her, Emma was there with her and she couldn't do that to her._

_Taylor's ever-present smile widened as she heard Sophia's acceptance, "Wonderful!" she yelled gleefully, "I knew you were perfect for the job. The moment my show is over you and Emma are free to go, no matter the outcome."_

_Sophia felt something being tied around her neck, "This is just insurance. Can't have you quitting before the show is over after all."_

_The wires around her body fell to the ground and Sophia held back the urge to lunge towards the taller girl to wrap her hands around her throat. She recognized the collar Hebert put around her neck, the ABB used ones just like it when they came across a particularly resilient captive. One press of a button and it would emit enough electricity to knock a grown man to his knees in agony. She wasn't exactly keen on finding out how that would feel given her increased weakness to electricity._

"_What do you want me to do. Be your bodyguard?" she hoped that was it, it would give her the perfect opportunity to shoot the little bitch while her back was turned. Alas, it was not meant to be._

_Taylor chuckled, "I already have all the guards I'd ever need. No, what I need you for is to be a distraction." _

_Now Sophia was confused, "A distraction for what? You gonna play a prank or something?" Something told her it was something much worse than a simple prank._

_She was proven right when Taylor suddenly stopped in her tracks, turning to Sophia with a startled expression, "Silly me! I never told about the big show did I?" she put her hand to her forehead as she shook it, "You'll have to excuse me my dear, I've had a very stressful day. Let me bring you up to date on what has been happening while you were asleep." She began to explain the details of her show to Sophia, either oblivious or uncaring of the increasingly horrified face of the young Ward._

_When she finished her tale, Sophia just sat there with a dumbfounded look on her face. She couldn't believe that weak little Hebert committed an act that would make Jack Slash weep tears of joy and give her a pat on the back. The only good thing, if you could even call it that, about this situation was that Madison triggered with some sort of teleportation power. She would no doubt tell the PRT and they would send in the heroes to…rescue…them. Suddenly, it struck Sophia just exactly what Taylor wanted her for._

_The brown-haired girl smiled at the look of realization on Sophia's face, "Now you see, I can't let the heroes stop the show, that would upset the audience and we can't have that." she shook her head dramatically before pointing at Sophia with the end of her cane, "That's where you come in my dear. Your job will be to delay those meddlesome heroes while I set up my final act."_

"_And how the hell will I do that?" The maniacal grin she received in response to her question sent chills down her spine. Those chills turned to ice cubes as Taylor explained her pan in full detail._

"_If I do this," Sophia began cautiously, "You'll let me and Emma go free? "_

_Taylor smiled," You have my word."_

_The choice was obvious._

* * *

_**~~~~~~~ End Flashback~~~~~~~**_

I gazed out the window at the vans which had pulled up to the entrance of the school-turned-park. A voice sounded out from a speaker somewhere behind me, "**Places everyone, the show is about to begin!"**

I took a deep breath to calm myself. This was it, the moment of truth. '_There's no going back now.'_ I thought, gripping my crossbow tighter, the polished wood creaking under the force exerted by my hands. I could make out the form of Armsmaster as he walked cautiously towards the stairs, this was my cue. I walked forward, nearly tripping over the tattered cape of my costume. '_Not that I would go back even if I could,' _I thought with grim resolve, '_Emma needs me.'_

If she died here, she wanted to have done at least one good thing in her life. Maybe the devil would cut her some slack once she got arrived in hell.

* * *

**That's a wrap!  
The next chapter will be out later than usual, probably some time next month, so please be patient.**


End file.
